Why Bowers & Wilkins' Pi8 ran away with our Headphones of the Year award –and why it was one of the easiest decisions I've made in 2024

Before you constitute in, our Headphones of nan Year Award is unfastened to in-ear, on-ear and over-ear designs (rather than conscionable cans) because we want to make you alert of nan very champion headphone merchandise released successful 2024. And based connected different afloat twelvemonth of testing, I want you to cognize correct from nan disconnected that choosing nan Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 as that merchandise was 1 of nan easiest decisions we've made each year.

This year, nan hands-down TechRadar Choice Awards 2024 audio victor revealed itself alternatively precocious successful nan game, astatine nan extremity of August to beryllium precise. This was cutting it beautiful good for information successful nan 2024 awards proceedings, but I uncertainty B&W was peculiarly worried astir that; it's abundantly clear to maine that this clip around, nan UK audio master wanted to get its earbuds done right, alternatively than to get them done quickly – and that is astir apt why they're so, so good.

The keen-eyed will already person spotted that nan Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones won our 'Best wireless headphones' award, truthful why did we take nan Pi8 arsenic nan wide winner, alternatively than nan family sanction of Bose?

I've said it earlier and I'll opportunity it again: this determination isn't ever conscious, alternatively it makes itself, complete nan people of our reappraisal process. I mightiness person 5 aliases six sets of nan best headphones astatine akin price-points arsenic reference products (I spot my ears and my testing, but it's still bully to person proven class-leaders successful nan operation to double-check), and it's nan ones I scope for erstwhile I'm not testing that thin to bargain nan crown.

I typically for illustration nan best over-ear headphones fixed nan prime – not conscionable truthful I don't person to talk to people, though that helps – but I recovered myself picking nan B&W Pi8 earbuds each time earlier heading retired nan door, for nary logic different than they supply nan sound value I really wanted.

Actually location are different reasons, but to understand them afloat you request to understand that sound value has ne'er been nan rumor pinch B&W's earbuds historically. So erstwhile nan institution yet went backmost to nan drafting committee and sewage nan basics – design, comfort, connectivity, on-ear controls – perfectly bang connected pinch nan Pi8, it simply allowed that sound value to return halfway stage. And location you person it: winners.

Let's drill down into nan creation overhaul then, because nan Pi8 are are unrecognizable from nan somewhat unreliable (and honestly uncomfortable) Pi7 S2 that came earlier them. Refreshingly, nan institution approached nan situation of rectifying nan older siblings' issues pinch some humility and owed diligence, chiefly by wholly redesigning nan driver housings (to look rather a batch for illustration nan also-excellent 2023-issue Technics EAH-AZ80, honestly) but besides by adding an upgraded DAC, DSP and amplifier components, meaning they efficaciously bypass Qualcomm's digital-to-analog converter for even better audio value compared to really astir of nan best wireless earbuds grip this.

Do nan Pi8 nullify sound arsenic good nan Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds aliases nan AirPods Pro 2? For me, it's a yes. The Pi8 person received rather nan redesign present excessively – utilizing tech from their PX8 over-ear siblings – and nevertheless B&W has done it, it works. That emotion of leaving postulation for particulate kicks consecutive in, but without immoderate consciousness of wind-tunnel-type nausea aliases being unceremoniously sucked into a vacuum by nan eardrums. Also, you now get on-ear measurement control, thing I've been knocking B&W's determination to swerve since 2021, since it had maine rifling done my container to change nan measurement of elite earbuds' – meanwhile, propositions astatine a fraction of nan value could do it connected nan earpieces.

There's a notable other too: speech from nan case's no-nonsense, pocketable appeal, you tin plug its USB-C larboard (USB-C to 3.5mm and USB-C cables are successful nan box) into a non-Bluetooth source, specified arsenic an in-flight intermezo system, and it'll activity arsenic a wireless audio transmitter successful aptX Adaptive value astatine up to 24-bit/96kHz quality, turning these into wired earbuds… benignant of.

There are nary spatial audio pinch head-tracking and nary ear-tip fresh tests aliases proceeding floor plan curation, but nan B&W Music app is simply a joyousness to usage erstwhile cueing up your various playlists if, for illustration me, your euphony comes from a fewer different sources and streaming services. For amended aliases worse, B&W wants unadulterated euphony to beryllium nan prima of nan show, and I cannot responsibility nan sound value nan Pi8 earbuds are capable to present successful a wireless design, which is not a connection I make lightly.

All that’s really near for maine to opportunity is that nan Pi8 won because they're now arsenic physically comfortable and unafraid arsenic they are sonically elaborate and dynamically agile, which only makes nan coagulated noise-cancellation moreover much effective. No, they’re not nan cheapest. They’re simply nan champion wireless headphone action I've heard successful 2024, by rather a wide separator – and I'd powerfully propose you support your oculus connected our Black Friday earbuds deals, since immoderate discount would beryllium worthy a adjacent look.